Electronic control system for dyeing and printing materials

Abstract

Apparatus for electronically controlling the application of dyestuffs and other liquids to moving textile materials to provide a printed pattern thereon. The system includes electronic circuitry for periodically receiving bits of pattern data and processing the information to operate a plurality of valves which control the flow of liquid into the materials. Means are provided for dispensing equal amounts of liquid across a line of textile material to those areas of the material which are to receive the liquid. These equal amounts also may be uniformly varied to change the amount of liquid applied to those areas. Furthermore, means are provided for applying additional amounts of liquid to only certain of those areas which are to receive liquid, thereby dispensing unequal amounts of liquid to such areas.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. In apparatus for dyeing and printing textile material to form a pattern thereon including a conveyor for moving the textile material in a path of travel, a plurality of applicator means positioned along the conveyor, each said applicator means applying plural streams of liquid to the material during its passage thereby, means for storing pattern data, and means for periodically generating an enabling signal, the time between enabling signals being one cycle of operation, said storage means reading out said data in response to said enabling signal, the improvement comprising an electronic control system means for controlling said plural streams of liquid in accordance with the pattern data stored in said storage means, said electronic control system means comprising: (a) means for receiving during one cycle a block of pattern data from said storage means, said block including pattern data for each of said plurality of applicator means, said receiving means including a plurality of first output lines equal to said plurality of applicator means and means for routing said data to said first output lines;   (b) a plurality of means, each having a first input connected to one of said first output lines and a plurality of second output lines equal to the number of said plural streams, for providing output signals on said second output lines corresponding to said pattern data on said first output lines, the duration of said output signals extending for a predetermined time period; and   (c) a plurality of means, each having a second input connected to one of said second output lines, for individually directing said plural streams of liquid from said applicator means in accordance with said output signals whereby a predetermined amount of liquid is applied to said material.   
     
     
       2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising split cycle control means for enabling the control of the application of liquid to the material a plurality of times within said one cycle in accordance with a plurality of blocks of pattern data. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said split cycle control means comprises means for generating an enabling pulse at the completion of said output signals, said receiving means being responsive to said enabling pulse to request additional pattern data from said storage means. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein each of said means for providing output signals includes means for varying the duration of said output signals and wherein said means for generating an enabling pulse includes means for preventing the generation of said enabling pulse until said output signals of longest duration are completed. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising overspeed control means for determining if the duration of said output signals is too long in relation to the speed of travel of said conveyor, said overspeed control means including means for generating a warning signal if an overspeed condition exists. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said means for providing includes means for varying the duration of said output signals. 
     
     
       7. An apparatus for dyeing and printing textile materials to form a pattern thereon including a conveyor for moving the textile material in a path of travel, a plurality of applicator means positioned along the conveyor, each said applicator means applying plural streams of liquid to the textile material during its passage thereby, electronic registration system means for generating an enabling signal each time the conveyor has traveled a predetermined distance, the time between enabling signals being one cycle, and pattern data storage means, the improvement comprising an electronic control system means for controlling said plural streams of liquid in accordance with pattern data stored in said storage means, said electronic control system means comprising: (a) control panel means for requesting and receiving during one cycle a block of pattern data in serial bit format, said panel means being responsive to said enabling signal to request said block of data, said panel means demultiplexing said block of data into groups of data, there being of said groups of data for each of the applicator means;   (b) a plurality of distributor means, each receiving one group of pattern data, for generating a plurality of output signals of a predetermined duration, each of said output signals corresponding to a data bit; and   (c) a plurality of means, each regulating one of said plural streams and each responsive to one of said output signals, for individually directing said plural streams of liquid from said applicator means.   
     
     
       8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein each of said distributor means comprises: (a) a plurality of shift registers for storing each of the data bits;   (b) a strobe line voltage generating means for generating a signal of predetermined voltage; and   (c) a plurality of switching means, each said switching means having a first input connected to a stage in one of the shift registers which stores a data bit and a second input connected to said voltage generating means, each said switching means providing one of said output signals in response to the voltages on said first and second inputs.   
     
     
       9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said strobe line voltage generating means includes means for generating a voltage for a predetermined period of time and wherein the duration of said output signals is proportional to said predetermined period of time. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said voltage generating means includes means for varying said predetermined period of time. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said strobe line voltage generating means includes means for generating a voltage of sufficiently high level during loading of the data bits in said shift registers to prevent said plurality of switching means from providing said output signals. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said block of data includes a synchronization bit and further comprising split cycle control means including means for detecting said synchronization bit and for generating an output pulse in response thereto, means, responsive to said output pulse, for generating a further signal whose duration is equal to the duration of said output signals and means, responsive to said further signal, for generating an enabling pulse, said control panel means being responsive to said enabling pulse to request additional pattern data during said one cycle. 
     
     
       13. An apparatus for dyeing and printing textile material to form a pattern thereon including means for moving the material in a path of travel, means for storing pattern data and first means for periodically generating an enabling signal, the time between enabling signals being one cycle of operation, said storing means reading out a block of said data in response to said enabling signal, comprising: (a) means for applying a stream of dyestuff to the material in accordance with said block of pattern data;   (b) electronic control means for receiving said block of pattern data when read out from the storing means and for transmitting said data to said means for applying;   (c) means for detecting when said means for applying has completed applying the dyestuff in accordance with said block of pattern data; and   (d) second means, responsive to said detecting means, for generating an enabling signal during said one cycle of operation to request an additional block of pattern data from said storing means.   
     
     
       14. An apparatus for dyeing and printing textile material to form a pattern thereon including means for moving the material in a path of travel, comprising: (a) means for storing pattern data for forming the pattern;   (b) first means for periodically generating an enabling signal, the time between enabling signals being one cycle of operation, said storing means reading out a block of said data in response to said enabling signal, the block having data to form a part of the pattern;   (c) means for applying a stream of dyestuff to the material in accordance with said block of pattern data;   (d) electronic control means for receiving said block of pattern data when read out from the storing means and for transmitting said block of pattern data to said means for applying;   (e) means for detecting when said means for applying has completed applying the dyestuff in accordance with said block of pattern data; and   (f) second means, responsive to said detecting means, for generating an enabling signal during said one cycle of operation to request an additional block of pattern data from said storing means.   
     
     
       15. An apparatus for dyeing and printing textile material to form a pattern thereon, comprising: (a) means for storing and periodically reading out pattern data;   (b) means for applying dyestuff to a predetermined area of said material in accordance with said data;   (c) electronic control means for receiving said pattern data and for routing said data to said means for applying; and   (d) means for varying the time that said data is effective to control the application of dyestuff by said means for applying to vary the amount of dyestuff applied to said predetermined area; said varying means including means, having a first input which receives said data and a second input which receives a control signal of predetermined duration, for generating an output signal corresponding to said data, the duration of said output signal being dependent on the duration of said control signal, and means for generating said control signal of a predetermined duration.   
     
     
       16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said control signal generating means includes a capacitor and means for varying the charge stored in said capacitor. 
     
     
       17. Apparatus for applying dyestuff on material to form a pattern thereon, comprising: (a) means for storing pattern data;   (b) means for moving the material along a path of travel;   (c) a plurality of gun bar means, spaced apart along the path of travel, and each extending across the width of the material to provide plural streams of dyestuff on predetermined areas of a line of the material in accordance with said pattern data;   (d) means for periodically requesting said pattern data from said storing means as the material is moved and transferring said data to said plurality of gun bar means to provide a first predetermined amount of dyestuff on predetermined areas of respective lines of the material; and   (e) means for enabling said requesting and transferring means to request and transfer additional pattern data within one period to provide a second predetermined amount of dyestuff on at least one of the predetermined areas of at least one of the respective lines of material receiving the first predetermined amount of dyestuff.   
     
     
       18. Apparatus for applying dyestuff on textile material to form a pattern thereon, comprising: (a) means for storing data including pattern data and control data;   (b) means for moving the material along a path of travel;   (c) a plurality of gun bar means, spaced apart along the path of travel, and each extending across the width of the material to provide plural streams of dyestuff on predetermined areas of a line of the material in accordance with said pattern data;   (d) means for periodically receiving said pattern data and said control data from said storing means as the material is moved and transferring said pattern data to said plurality of gun bar means to provide a first predetermined amount of dyestuff on predetermined areas of respective lines of the material; and   (e) means, responsive to said control data received by said receiving means, for enabling said receiving means to receive and transfer additional pattern data within one period to provide a second predetermined amount of dyestuff on at least one of the predetermined areas of at least one of the respective lines of material receiving the first predetermined amount of dyestuff.   
     
     
       19. Apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said enabling means comprises: (a) first means, receiving said control data, for generating a first signal of predetermined duration; and   (b) second means, connected to said first generating means, for generating a second signal at the end of said first signal, said receiving means being responsive to said second signal.   
     
     
       20. Apparatus according to claim 19 wherein said first means for generating comprises a flip-flop which changes state when said control data is of a certain level, and a first multivibrator responsive to the change of state of said flip-flop. 
     
     
       21. Apparatus according to claim 20 wherein said second means for generating comprises a second multivibrator connected to said first multivibrator. 
     
     
       22. Apparatus according to claim 19 wherein said receiving and transferring means includes a plurality of control means each controlling one of said gun bar means for a preset period of time with said received pattern data to provide the first predetermined amount of dyestuff on respective lines of the material. 
     
     
       23. Apparatus according to claim 22 wherein said first signal has a predetermined duration corresponding to the maximum period of time by which said gun bar means is controlled by said control means. 
     
     
       24. Apparatus according to claim 23 wherein said first signal has a duration equal to the maximum preset period. 
     
     
       25. Apparatus according to claim 24 wherein said first means for generating includes a capacitor, and means for charging said capacitor, the charge on said capacitor corresponding to the duration of said first signal.